The Georgian-bred designer’s label, Vetements, has amassed unassailable global popularity and controversy – since debuting in 2014. This year, the label made headlines upon Gvasalia’s decision to relocate the house from Paris to Zurich. The move was soon followed by an announcement that Vetements would no longer participate in fashion shows, opting to present its Spring/Summer 2018 collection via a lookbook featuring local Swiss residents striking amateurishly vogue-like poses.
Even more subversive is Gvasalia’s current tenure at Balenciaga, where he’s garnered considerable attention for the French luxury house since taking the reins as creative director in 2015. In addition to making IKEA tote bags and Bernie Sanders’ style desirable fashion commodities, the label’s Triple S sneakers ignited a furor of polarizing reactions from the moment they clunked down the Fall/Winter 2017 runway show in Paris and ushered in a new obsession with “dad-core chic” among fashionistas and sneakerheads.